


The Pearl Divers

by Beleriandings



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-09-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 00:28:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Finrod, Turgon and Argon spend a happy day in Alqualondë.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pearl Divers

“Turno, I’m bored!”

Turukáno rolled his eyes slightly and sighed, turning around to face his little brother who was standing in the doorway.

“Honestly, Arakáno! Can’t you amuse yourself for five minutes? Or go bother Findekáno or Irissë, for once. I’m trying to have a talk with Findaráto!”

The two older boys were sitting in front of the open window, looking out at the ocean. The summer breeze that stirred the curtains was warm, and smelled of the sea. Turukáno loved the sea, and the smell of the air in Alqualondë at this time of year was one of his favourite things about spending the summer with Arafinwë’s family. What he was less keen on was the phase Arakáno had been going through lately in which he seemed to demand constant attention, usually from Turukáno.

Arakáno looked forlorn. “Findekáno left this morning with ada, I saw them going. I think they went home to Tirion for a few days. He said to go and talk to you!”

Turukáno scowled. Was it not just like his eldest brother to leave him to look after the baby? Could he really not wait a few weeks to see Maitimo again? That was the reason for it, Turukáno knew, no matter how much Findekáno protested that he simply missed their home in the city. Their father was one thing, he had important business at court, Turukáno knew, and he had not planned to spend the whole summer in Alqualondë anyway. But Findekáno had probably begged to be taken with him, even if only for a few days. Turukáno could not help feeling a little resentment. It was selfish of his older brother, that was what it was. Selfish and rude.

“And Irissë?”

“She’s gone too. She went with him.”

Turukáno ground his teeth. He had decided that his sister had been spending entirely too much time with the sons of Fëanáro lately. It made him uncomfortable.

“Turno, can I stay here with you and Findaráto? I’ll be very quiet and good, I promise!”

Turukáno highly doubted that. “No. Go away, Arakáno.”

“Why? What were you talking about?”

“Things that you wouldn’t be interested in. Grown up things.”

Findaráto laughed, flashing Turukáno a grin. “That’s one way to describe it.”

They had been looking out at the sea, remembering the time, a few years back, when Irissë and Artanis had buried Findekáno in sand on the beach. He had been put in charge of them, but had fallen asleep, and they had taken their chance.

Turukáno returned the grin “Maybe we should bury  _him_ in the sand? What do you think of that, Arakáno?”

Arakáno’s lip wobbled, eyes starting to fill with tears. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh really? Are you sure about that?”

Findaráto broke into the conversation. “Don’t worry Arakáno. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t really. Anyway, I have a better idea.”

 

Not long after, they were walking along the quayside. Turukáno was still frowning a little, but it was very difficult to avoid being cheerful when the day was warm, and a slight wind was blowing in off the sea, whistling through the rigging of the white ships anchored in the harbour.

“Where are we going, Findaráto?”

Findaráto looked down at Arakáno. “Be patient! You’ll see soon enough!”

They reached the end of the quayside and rounded the headland. They found themselves suddenly in a smaller bay. There was no beach here, and the sea bed fell down steeply into the clear turquoise depths.

“Findaráto,” began Turukáno, “what - ”

“Look! There they are!”

There was a smaller group of people clustered by the shoreline further around the bay. Turukáno squinted, trying to work out what they were doing. They all seemed to be looking at something out in the bay, their gazes directed down into the water. As they got closer, Turukáno began to see something, a shape rising rapidly to the surface… he caught his breath. The shape became a figure, dark against the bright depths. As they watched, the figure broke the surface. It – no, she, for everyone in the little group female, he saw now – carried a small woven basket, strapped to her back.

“They’re looking for pearls, it’s a tradition” said Findaráto. “I love to watch them in the summer. Come on!”

They ran the rest of the way to where the pearl divers were clustered, Arakáno tripping a little over his own feet. The women greeted Findaráto as an old friend, ruffling his hair and speaking to him rapid Telerin. Most were small and wiry, skin tanned to a deep brown by the reflections from the ocean, silver hair bright and still dripping with seawater. They had loud voices and laughed a lot, eyes glittering as they fussed over Findaráto. The one who had just surfaced opened her basket, and showed them what she had found. The pearls were, quite simply, the most beautiful thing Turukáno had ever seen. There were no two that were identical, some large, some tiny as grains of wheat, and the colours… most were white or cream, but there were also pearls of every shade of blue and green and pink and yellow and grey that Turukáno could imagine. Arakáno’s eyes were huge with wonder, and the pearl divers laughed, picking him up and dangling his toes in the water. Arakáno squealed with delight. Turukáno couldn’t understand what they were saying, but his younger brother’s joy was infectious, and soon he was smiling too.

They stayed there all day, and by the time they left to return to the palace it was the mingling of the lights. Arakáno had fallen asleep, and Turukáno carried him on his back. Both Findaráto and Turukáno had pockets full of pearls, a parting gift. At first Turukáno had protested at their generosity, awkwardly tried to offer some small gemstones that he had brought with him from Tirion as payment. But they seemed to find this funny, although Turukáno could not understand what they were saying. Findaráto explained that the beaches of Alqualondë were so full of Noldorin gemstones that it seemed a silly thing to trade their own treasure for. Eventually, he had persuaded Turukáno to accept the pearls as a gift.

They walked back in companionable silence. The day had turned out much better than Turukáno had expected. He inspected a pearl, closely. The Noldor made beautiful things, but this was quite different. This one’s surface was uneven, ridged and pitted, but it reflected the light with a soft, quiet sheen that no Noldorin gemstone ever had.

He would show it to Findekáno when he returned, he decided. But until then, looking after Arakáno did not seem quite as trying as it had earlier. And just at that moment, with Findaráto beside him and his own small collection of pearls in his pocket, Turukáno felt entirely content.


End file.
